Proposal To Raise Minimum Wage Clears Initial Hurdle

LITTLE ROCK — A ballot proposal to raise the minimum wage in Arkansas has met the initial signature requirement, Secretary of State Mark Martin’s office said Wednesday.

LITTLE ROCK — A ballot proposal to raise the minimum wage in Arkansas has met the initial signature requirement, Secretary of State Mark Martin’s office said Wednesday.

Martin’s office said the group Give Arkansas a Raise Now turned in more than 64,000 signatures in support of the proposed initiated act, which needed 62,507 signatures to win a spot on the November general election ballot.

The secretary of state’s office now moves on to verifying the signatures, which were submitted July 7. Meeting the initial count requirement qualifies the group for an additional 30 days to collect signatures to compensate for any that may not qualify during the verification process.

If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, the proposal would raise Arkansas’ minimum wage gradually from $6.25 an hour to $8.50 an hour by 2017.

Steve Copley, chairman of Give Arkansas a Raise Now, said Wednesday he was "excited that we got that hurdle cleared."

Copley said polls have shown strong support for the proposal.

"I feel pretty confident when we get it on the ballot it’ll pass," he said.

Martin’s office said last week the group Let Arkansas Decide had submitted more than the 78,133 signatures needed to place a proposed constitutional amendment to allow statewide alcohol sales on the ballot.

The two groups were the only ones to submit citizen-initiated ballot proposals to the secretary of state’s office by the July 7 deadline. Petition drives in support of measures to legalize recreational and medicinal marijuana fell short.